The photo, published by the Sunday Sun, clearly shows the Arsenal striker posing in his pants in a hotel room, taken by a glamour model who reportedly spent the night with the him.

The Gunners' front man and wife, Jennifer, had their first baby last June, and the devout Christian moved quickly to tweet his apology to his family and his club, just hours before the side's crucial FA Cup fifth-round tie against Liverpool:

I apologise to my wife, family and friends and my manager, team-mates and Arsenal fans.

Arsenal have yet to issue their own statement following the outbreak, and with all to play for this season, this story comes at a derailing time for the Gunners in their search for the title.

Giroud spoke of his love for the club last week, and even hinted that national team-mate Hugo Lloris, currently with Tottenham, would move to their North London rivals in the summer, telling Sky Sports:

We go out together and talk about everything. We talk about life and sometimes the French team a bit and our wish to have a great experience together at the World Cup.

Have I asked him (Lloris) to join Arsenal? Yes, I have with Lolo (Laurent Koscielny). He would have liked to, he would quite like to. You will have to ask him the question.

However, Giroud's future at the club is now in doubt and it remains to be seen whether Arsene Wenger will continue with his leading scorer, or opt to drop him.

Perhaps Gunners fans will see the club's mentality toward the issue, should the striker feature against Liverpool. However, timing could not be worse for the side that looks to continue on its mission for FA Cup glory this season.

ESPN football writer John Brewin added his own hint of humor, tweeting:

Not a good sign for Arsenal when their only recognised striker has become more famous for his underpants than scoring goals.